Dental articulator



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

M. R. GRISWOLD. DENTAL ARTICULATOR.

No. 544,096. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

/AHIII (No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 2. M R GRISWOLD DENTAL ARTIGULATOR.

Patented Au 6, 1895.

45 zontal movement therein.

.view in side elevation of the device.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM R. GRISWOLD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

DENTAL ARTICULATORJ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,096, dated August 6, 1895.

' Application filed June 5,1894. Serial No. 513,571- (No model.)

To a'ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MALCOLM R. GRISWOLD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Articulators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,.whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of devices used by dentists for holding in proper relation to each other the casts ormoldsin which are placed artificial teeth, and the object of my invention is to provide a device of this class in which the casts may be securely held by a clamping action, and also to provide means for operating the clamps and for securing vertical and horizontal adjustment of the jaws with reference to each other.

To this end my invention consists in details of the several parts making up the device as a whole, and in their combination, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a Fig. 2 is aview in central vertical section. is a top or plan view. Fig. 4 is aview in front elevation, and Fig. 5 is aview in rear elevation.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes the lower jaw that is constructed preferably of sheet-brass cut or stamped to shape and having lugs a properly disposed around the edge. A shank a is formed on the back of the jaw a, having an upturned portion a this shank containing a slot a. In the angle formed at the lower end of the upturned portion a is a crosswise slot a In the slot a of the upturned portion a of the shank is located a horizontal adjusting-nut b. This adjusting-nut b is provided with a peripheral groove, the flanges on each side of the groove resting against the upturned portion a of the shank and preventing'the nut from a hori- A clamp-screw 0 projects through the nut and bears on its outer end a clamp d, in which is located a slot (1'. The end of "the clamp-screw c is so formed as to lie in the slot d and have a free rotary movement therein, but compelling the movement of the clamp with the screw as it is Fig. 3

turned into or out of the horizontal adjustingnut b. The clamp-screw 0 also passes through a screw-threaded openingin the frame e that is supported in part by the clamp-screw and in part, by the vertical adjusting-nut f. An

adjusting-screw 6' projects downward from the frame e through-the nut f, the latter being similar in form to the horizontal adjusting-nut b and located in the slot in the shank a Projections e on the frame a extend downward, lying closely against the sides of the shank a and prevent any lateral movement of the frame upon the shank. This frame is preferably cut or stamped from sheet metal, as by means of dies. It will be seen from thisconstruction that by turning the clamp-screw c the clamp a will be moved along the slot a, within which it is guided,

as shown, and that by turning the horizontal adjusting-nut b the frame 6 and clamp d are moved together, being properly guided, as shown. By turning the vertical adjustingnutf the frame is moved in a vertical position, the slots in the clamp 01 and in the upturned portion a of the shank allowing this vertical movement.

In the upper end of the side posts of the frame 6 are formed pivot-sockets e and extending from these sockets outward to the edge of the posts are slots e, the width of the slots being preferably less than the diameter of the pivot-sockets. An upper jaw g is provided with trunnions or pivots g and with lugs 9 This upper jaw is preferably struck up from sheet-brass, as by means of dies, the pivots being formed in this operation and preferably flat, the thickest portion of the pivot being slightly less than the diameter of the pivot-sockets e to allow a free rotation within the sockets, and the thinnest portion of the pivot being equal to the thickness of the plate from which thejaw is struck and slightly less than the width of the slots a, so that in a certain position of the jaw g the pivots can be slipped through the slots 6 and when turned to place are securely locked against removal.

An upper jaw-clamp h, provided with downturned lugs h lying on each side of the shank of the upper jaw g, is supported on said shank with downward projections located in the slot 9 in the shank of the upper aw. An adj usting-screw t' is borne in a screw-threaded socket in an upturned portion 9 of the shank of the upper jaw g, the end of this adjusting-screw being secured to the upperjaw-clamp kin such manner as to have a free rotation therein, but to compel the movement of the jaw with the screw as it is turned into or out of the screwthreaded socket in the upturned portion g of the shank. A stop-screw 7c is located in the frame e to limit and determine the downward swinging movement of the upper jaw 9. By this construction a mold or cast can be placed in each of the upper and lower jaws and readily secured therein by means of the clamps above described without the use of plaster, as in prior devices, the use of which is objectionable for obvious reasons, having to be used in a moist state. When the molds are secured in the jaws they can be readily adjusted with reference to each other in either a horizontal or a vertical position, and the means for securing such adjustment are also advantageously utilized in the manipulation of the clamps. When the molds are placed in the jaws and are found to be inclined too much laterally with regard to each other all that is necessary is to loosen one of the clamps and adjust the mold, to the proper position and then reclamp it in place. In the use of the old devices employing plaster to secure the molds in place when such a fault is found to exist the plaster has to be broken away to loosen the mold, and then when it has been placed in the desired position the operation of again securing it in position by means of wet plaster has to be employed. All of these objections are overcome by my within-described invention.

It is obvious that other forms of clamps for securing the molds in the jaws may be employed, and I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with the frame of an articulator a jaw adapted to hold a mold, flattened pivots located on the jaw and engaging locking sockets in the frame, and slots of a width equal to the shortest diameter of the pivot and extending from the locking sockets outward to the edge of the frame, all sub stantially as described.

2. In an articulator in combination, a lower jaw, an adjusting nutborne in thejaw, a clamp screw borne in the nut, a clamp borne on the screw, a frame having a vertical and horizon tal adjustment on the jaw, a swinging jaw secured to the upper end of the frame, a sliding clamp secured to the upper jaw, and a clamp screw borne in a threaded socket in the upper jaw and in engagement with the clamp whereby the latter is reciprocated in the rota tion of the screw, all substantially as described.

3. In combination in an articulator, a jaw adapted to hold a mold, flattened pivots located on the jaw and engaging locking sockets in the frame, slots of a width equal to the shortest diameter of the pivot extending from the locking sockets outward to the edge of the frame, the frame, a sliding clamp located on the jaw, and a clamp screw borne in a threaded socket in the jaw with its end in engagement with the sliding clamp, all substantially as described.

4. In an articulator in combination, a lower jaw, a horizontal adjusting nut borne in the jaw, a clamp screw extending through the nut, a clamp secured to the outer end and adapted to be reciprocated as the screw is turned, a frame having a threaded socket fitting said clamp screw, 2. vertical adjusting nut borne in the jaw and engaging a threaded portion on the frame, an upper jaw pivoted in the frame, a sliding clamp borne on the upper jaw, and a clamp screw in engagement with the clamp whereby the latter is reciprocated as the screw is rotated, all substantially as described.

5. In an articulator in combination, a jaw having a shank with an upturned portion, a slot extending along the shank and upturned portion, a crosswise slot intersecting the lengthwise slot, an adjustingnut borne in the slot in the upturned portion, a clamp screw borne in the adjusting nut, and a clamp borne on the end of the screw and adapted to be reciprocated by the rotation of the latter, all substantially as described.

MALCOLM R. Gil IS \VOLD.

\Vitnesses:

ARTHUR B. JENKINS, JOSEPH ARTHUR CANTIN. 

